The Macao-ASEAN International Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) made its first debut in the Macao Special Administrative Region on August 8, setting an aim of promoting economic and trade cooperation among ASEAN businesses and their Macao partners and those in the mainland China.

Speaking at the event, the MAICC President noted that having undergone four decades, ASEAN has not only consolidated its political stability but also worked to achieve a robust economic growth in the region.

The MAICC chief affirmed that Macao and ASEAN have established a firm relationship for a long time with cultural and economic activities being exchanged regularly and developed in a growing manner.

The MAICC chief also expressed hopes that the MAICC will lay a new foundation for further consolidating and expanding the cooperation between ASEAN and the mainland China , which has already experienced a bustling growth.

On behalf of the Consul Generals of ASEAN member countries in Macao , Vietnamese Consul General to the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions ( China ) Pham Cao Phong welcomed the inception of the MAICC.

He said he hoped this non-governmental and non-profitable organisation will successfully accomplish its role as bridge between the two regions so as to help facilitate ASEAN businesses’ deals with partners from Macao in particular and China in general and further diversify ASEAN-Macao cultural and economic activities.

In the context of the global economic recession, cooperation between ASEAN economies and Macao and China is extremely important to coordinating efforts to weather difficulties and boost growth in the coming years, the Vietnamese Consul General said.

The MAICC’s inauguration coincided with the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN)’s commemoration of its 42nd anniversary./.